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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29490603">The First Date</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyNameIsNotSabine/pseuds/MyNameIsNotSabine'>MyNameIsNotSabine</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>.:[ Sova|Sage ]:. [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>VALORANT (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Awkward Romance, Dating, F/M, First Dates, Fluff, Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 00:07:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,302</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29490603</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyNameIsNotSabine/pseuds/MyNameIsNotSabine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sova asks Sage out on a date.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Implied Jett/Phoenix (VALORANT), Sage &amp; Sova (VALORANT), Sage/Sova (VALORANT)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>.:[ Sova|Sage ]:. [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2190243</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The First Date</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I am so hooked with @lilyqii's VALORANT-related artwork on instagram. This fic is heavily based on some of her SovaxSage works. Please do check her out on instagram! Her drawings are exactly what I had in mind while writing this.</p><p>Brace yourself. This is going to be cliché after cliché topped with a generous serving of cheese. </p><p>(BTW, this is the first fic I'm publishing ever, and it's the first I've written in years. Please be gentle.)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You should’ve seen their faces!” Jett recounted enthusiastically, as they made their way back to headquarters after another successful mission. Reyna rolled her eyes. “You should not always be so brash, <em>cariño</em>. I always had to check on you in case I needed to trade you.” Sage chuckled. Reyna was right, though. It was always Jett that needed reviving.</p><p>As they reached headquarters, Sage felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. “You did well today,” Sova said solemnly. “Thank you for always supporting us.” Sage felt herself blush at the compliment. She has had a crush on Sova for the longest time, but has always been intimidated by the hunter’s imposing persona. “T-Thank you,” she stuttered back. She barely caught Reyna’s knowing smirk before the empress made her way to her own quarters.</p><p>Sage went straight to the infirmary. Unlike the other agents, her job doesn’t end in the battlefield—she has to check on everyone post-battle to make sure they’re in tip-top shape. <em>Why am I feeling nervous? It’s not like I have not done this a thousand times, </em>she thought to herself, as she saw Sova enter the room. He went straight to the examination chair without so much a word, so Sage went on her routine checkup of him in silence. Sova looked at her intently as she moved around him. She was starting to feel self-conscious until she put her stethoscope to his chiseled chest and heard his heartbeat hammering faster than usual.</p><p>“Is everything alright?” Sage asked Sova. “Your heart rate is a little faster than normal, are you feeling anything unusual?” A light tinge of red colored Sova’s cheeks. “Uh, I…I was wondering…uhm,” he stuttered. <em>What’s happening? Sova’s usually very calm and composed. </em>Sage cocked her head and looked expectantly at Sova. “…if you’re free this afternoon? Maybe we can go out for coffee or something…”</p><p>Sage couldn’t believe her ears. <em>Is…is he asking me out on a date? No, it can’t be. Maybe he just wants to talk about something that’s bothering him.</em> “Uhm, I…uh, yeah sure. Around four?” “Four sounds good. I’ll be at your doorstep at four.” Sova said. Sage could’ve sworn there was a smile fighting its way out of Sova’s lips. Sova stood up and left med bay, his stride skipping a little.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Cypher heard a knock at his door. Sova looked at the door camera that only Cypher’s quarters had. “Ah, what brings you here, my friend? Come in, come in.” Sova looked around Cypher’s room and took a deep breath. “I asked her out.” A wide smile broke out of Cypher’s face. “Ah, Sova, my friend, that is amazing! Still begs the question, what brings you here?”</p><p>“I need help,” Sova said. “I’ve never been on a date since…well, you know.” “Shouldn’t you be asking Phoenix or Yoru? I believe dating is their forte, not mine,” Cypher mused. “I will only ask Phoenix if I want Sage to hate me forever,” Sova replied. “I’m not even sure how Jett keeps up with him.”</p><p>Cypher poured two glasses of cognac for them to drink. “For your jitters. I say you just need to relax and be yourself. It’s not like you still need to make an impression,” he said conspiratorially. “What do you mean?” Sova asked, confused. “Oh nothing, nothing. You’re as good as it gets.” <em>And she already likes you, you already took long enough, </em>Cypher added to himself.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not wearing that Reyna, that’s too…revealing!” Sage said as she looked disdainfully at the tiny scrap of cloth that had the audacity to consider itself a dress. “And no, I’m not wearing harlot red lipstick!” she exclaimed, as she fought Reyna and the lipstick brush on her hand.</p><p>Reyna was having fun watching Sage fuss over her ‘non-date’ with Sova. Sage wouldn’t admit it was a date, yet she had already changed clothes at least five times. “Sage, I doubt Sova would care what you’re wearing. He’ll want it off of you soon enough anyway,” Reyna mused. “REYNA!” Sage countered sternly. “Ok, ok! I’m going back to my quarters. He’ll be here soon enough. You better tell me all about it afterwards or I will hunt you down!” Reyna said menacingly, as she handed Sage a dainty teal dress that wasn’t half bad.</p><p><em>That woman is unbelievable, </em>Sage thought to herself.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Five minutes to four. Sage can feel her heart hammering against her ribs. She has straightened her dress and centered her hair piece for the hundredth time. <em>You look fine, </em>she assured herself. She took a deep breath to settle herself. After a few moments, she heard a knock on her door.</p><p>Sova stood at her door with a bouquet of flowers. A deep shade of red stained his cheeks as Sage opened the door for him. “Uhm, for you,” he said as he gave her the flowers. Sage could barely contain how giddy she felt receiving flowers from Sova. “Oh, wow, thank you, they’re so lovely. Uhm, have a seat while I get a vase that I can put these in.” She found an empty jar, put the flowers in and set it in the middle of the living room. “Shall we?”</p><p>They proceeded to Crown Café. They sat at a booth, the silence between them starting to become awkward. “Sova,” “Sage,” they spoke at the same time. “You go first,” they responded, again at the same time. They both chuckled, feeling the awkwardness slowly melting away. “What brought this on? Did you want to talk to me about something?” Sage asked. Sova scratched the back of his head. “No, I… no particular reason. I just wanted to get out and loosen up a bit.” Sage’s face fell. <em>He must think I’m so obsessed with him that I’m the only one who’d grasp at any chance to go out with him. </em>“You should’ve asked Phoenix or Yoru. They’ll probably be able to take you somewhere fun. I might bore you.” Sova looked deeply into Sage’s eyes. “I’m right where I want to be.”</p><p>They spent the whole afternoon talking about anything and everything under the sun. They barely noticed the time—they only realized how late it was when the Café manager approached them apologizing that the Café’s closing in 10 minutes. They made their way back to HQ. Sova walked Sage to her quarters. As they reached her door, Sage said, “Thank you for today, I really had so much fun. It’s nice to see a different side of you, Sova. I always took you for rigid and stiff serious.” “No, thank YOU for agreeing to go out with me,” Sova countered. “It’s nice to have someone so easy to talk to.”</p><p>Sova stared at Sage’s lips. He felt his heart thundering against his ribs as he leaned in closer. He took a deep breath and…</p><p>Sova noticed a blue haze at the edge of his sight. “Yoru,” he said the name like a statement. A rift appeared in the space just beside them, and Yoru stepped out. He scratched the back of head sheepishly as he held something that looked like one of Cypher’s cameras in his other hand. “They put me up to this, I swear! This wasn’t my idea!” “They?” Sova and Sage asked. They cocked their heads towards the sound of footsteps coming, but never materialized. They faced Yoru again to see that he had disappeared.</p><p>“I’m so sorry about that. Reyna must’ve said something to them,” Sage flustered. “She was helping me pick out something to wear and maybe she misunderstood…” “Well, thank Reyna for me then,” Sova replied. “You look lovely.” Sage felt her face warm. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” Sova said as he turned for his quarters, sparing them both from more embarrassment.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>03/02/2021 Edit: Putting this into a series because my subsequent posts are starting to refer to stuff here. :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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